The Torre del Oro or Golden Tower Sevilla Spain

Sevilla Travel Blog

The Torre del Oro/ Golden Tower is located at the banks of the river Guadalquivir.Constructed in the 13th century by the Muslims during the Almohad dynasty towards the end of the Spanish reconquest of the peninsula. The twelve-sided crenellated tower is constructed of stone and topped by a three-story domed element, also crenelated and with twelve sides. This smaller element and the terrace in which it is centered is accessed from a staircase within the lower tower.

It was the last point of a fortress that extended from the Alcazar to the river, and served as the anchoring point of huge chains that crossed the Guadalquivir River that prevented ships from sailing upstream.

Corte la Tortuga or Bob the Turtle

The battlements on the upper part were added in the 18th century.The tower is within easy walking distance of the cathedral, Giralda Tower, Maestranza Bullring, the Alcazar & the world famous Tuga Towers.There are a many legends that try to explain why it's called Torre del Oro or The Golden Tower. One says that the gold from the New World was stored here in the 16th and 17th centuries.Another that it was the sun´s reflection off the gold tiles that once covered the dome. My personal favorite is the story that associates the Torre del Oro or Gold Tower with the hair color of a beautiful damsel who King Don Pedro (aka Don Pedro da Player) locked up in the tower while her husband was away at war. The Torre del Oro served as a prison during the Middle Ages and as a secure enclosure for the protection of precious metals periodically brought by the fleet of the Indies, another possible origin for the tower's name.Later on it housed the main offices of the Spanish Navy.Today it is a naval museum with engravings, letters, models, antique navigation instruments, a turtle named Corte la Tortuga or Bob the Turtle and historical documents. In this museum we also find information on the prestigious naval history of Seville, the importance of the Guadalquivir River and the paths of numerous famous navigators.The upper level offers great scenic views of the river and city in all directions.